Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Eavesdropping

After the day's chaos settles down, an ambient lullaby lulls the city to sleep. It's a wonderfully ordinary collection of sounds -- a lonely dog whining on a back porch, a loose muffler sputtering up a hill, the nearby thunk of a car door, the distant wail of a siren. And sometimes, you'll hear a song coming from somewhere nearby. Maybe this one. Or this.

Or maybe nothing at all except your own footsteps on the sidewalk.

16 comments:

Judy Williams said...

WOAH!!!!! This is fantastic. The harsh lights, the deep shadows, the lonely silhouette of a single person walking in the dark. You couldn't have picked two better, or diametrically opposed songs. WOW - you blew me away with this whole scene, description and music.

Mister Earl said...

Great photo. Great songs. Chet Baker - played the trumpet like a sax and died too young. Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen share credit for Because the Night, one of my favorites. At the recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert, Bruce, Patti, and other rock icons shared the stage to play it.

Don said...

Nice, interesting shot, especially with that "stretched" figure. Those interested in Chet Baker should check out Bruce Weber's 1988documentary "Let's get Lost."

Dixie Jane said...

Lovely black and white shot leaving a lot to the imagination. But Chet Baker's music carries me away. I was fortunate to see the documentary of his life, sad though it was, and short. He had the most mellow, sweet voice and a way with the horn. I love starting the day with, "Time After Time." Thank you.

Anonymous said...

I love both songs, but each one gives a totally different flavor to that stark photo. Well done.

Tom said...

You are such a brilliant artist. I first found your blog for the incredible photography and then discovered your great writing. You are a filmmaker telling a story every day in only one frame.

Patrizzi Intergarlictica said...

Beautiful, beautiful post.

Anton Elohan Byers said...

That's the back side of the high school football field, right? That brings back a different song for me--I remember how we could hear the booming of the drums all over town during games on Friday nights. And as we got closer to the high school, we could start to hear the brass section. It was a booming, pulsing heart...

Anonymous said...

Laurie...absolutely fabulous photo...truly a scene from a movie. You do have a gift.

A little heads up to you, I finished the painting using your "Fantasyland" photo (Jan 6th posting) as reference/inspiration...It came out pretty cool (I think). I will post it tomorrow on my Daily Watercolor Paintings Blog...I invite everyone to check it out tomorrow.

Double "D" said...

Incredible!

Is that you Laurie?

Tash said...

Really powerful! I'm there...with you, in the moment. I hear the footsteps.

PS - thx for the comment on Surfer-boy. I needed that.

Tash said...

PS - maybe we've had the exchange about Patti Smith before. She ROCKS & always did.

Yakpate said...

LA: the second I saw this I felt cold... and lonely... and these are the lyrics that immediately sprang to mind...

I hear the train a comin'
it's rolling round the bend
and I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when,
I'm stuck in Folsom prison, and time keeps draggin' on
but that train keeps a rollin' on down to San Anton..

When I was just a baby my mama told me. Son,
always be a good boy, don't ever play with guns.
But I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die
now every time I hear that whistle I hang my head and cry..

Sing it, Johnny!

Auntie S said...

This morning's post is wonderful, as your photograph, writing, and the music of Chet Baker and Patti Smith come together to create a new and rich experience. Tom said it best.

I thought about it during the day. Thank you so much!

Laurie Allee said...

Thank you so much, everyone. I'm honored.

Tom, welcome. I can't tell you how nice it was to read your comment.

I appreciate being able to put together these daily posts for you guys. Until tomorrow...

-K- said...

This is certainly one of your very best photos.

Chet Baker - a talented guy who came extremely close to throwing it all away.